Operation tables

ABSTRACT

A surgical operation table has a patient-supporting platform with an extension flap at one end. The flap is removably fitted to the platform. The flap has coupling blocks or wedges on opposite sides at an end proximate the platform end. These blocks or wedges are engageable in mating coupling sockets on opposite sides of the platform. Locking means, such as a locking screw are provided to lock the blocks or wedges against accidental removal from the sockets.

Inventor Norman John Lee London, England Appl. No. 824,851 Filed May 15,1969 Patented July 20 1971 Assignee Matburn (Holdings) Limited London,England Priority May 28, 1968 Great Britain OPERATION TABLES V 4 Claims,4 Drawing Figs.

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,120,310 6/1938 Duncan5/327 UX 2,596,986 5/1952 Curtis 269/324 X 2,660,495 1 1/1953 Schwalbe269/325 2,965,425 12/1960 Grinsell 269/326 Primary Examiner-Andrew R.Juhasz Assistant Examiner-Donald D. Evens-on Attorney-William R.Liberman ABSTRACT: A surgical operation table has a patient-supportingplatform with an extension flap at one end. The flap is removably fittedto the platform. The flap has coupling blocks U.S.'Cl 269/325, or wedgeson opposite sides at an end. proximate the platform 5/327 R end. Theseblocks or wedges are engageable in mating Int. Cl A61g 13/00 couplingsockets on opposite sides of the platform. Locking Field of Search,269/323- means, such as a locking screw are provided to lock the blocks/327 or wedges against accidental removal lfrom the sockets.

2o 6 4 3 1 9 \CKO 13: o o o o (D (o 011i PATENlEnJuLzolsn SHEET 2 BF 2INVENTOR' #04514 HIV BY ATTORNEY OPERATION TABLES BACKGROUND or THEINVENTION Surgical operation, tables may comprise a wheeled or fixedbase supporting a platform on which a patient can be placed in a supineposition. The platform may be composed of two sections, commonly calledthe upper and lower trunk sections, which are arranged end to end. Meansare provided to enable these sections to be disposed in the same planeor at an angle with respect to each other. Extension flaps, commonlycalled the head and leg sections, can be removably fitted to the ends ofthe upper and lower trunk sections respectively. Alternatively, theplatform may be composed of a single trunk section and the extensionflaps can be removably fitted at each end. With the development ofequipment to enable surgical operations to be performed underfluoroscopic control, there is a need to provide some operation tableswith platforms made of X-ray translucent materials. With such materials,it is difficult to provide a satisfactory connection between theremovable head and leg sections and the trunk section or sections and itis an object of this invention to provide a table to overcome thisdifficulty.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The preseri 'tlpihvention provides asurgical operation table which has a platform for supporting a patientand an extension flap removably connected to the platform, one end ofthe flap having a pair of downwardly tapering coupling blocks or wedgesengageable in mating coupling sockets provided at an end of theplatform, one on each side of the platform, and means to prevent theblocks or wedges from accidental displacement from their mating sockets.

One or each block or wedge can have a hole in which a locking screw isfitted. This locking screw can have a knurled head or the like at itsouter end so that it can be rotated to en gage its inner end in athreaded locking recess or socket in a sidewall of the mating couplingsocket to prevent the block or wedge from accidental disengagement fromthe socket.

The flaps can be hingedly connected to the blocks or wedges and asupporting strut can extend between a coupling block or wedge or each ofthem, and a slide which can move on a partially screw-threaded boltwhich runs along a side of the flap. Each slide has a partiallyscrew-threaded aperture engaged with the bolt. When the screw threads ofthe slide are disengaged frdm those of the bolt, the slide is freelymovable on the bolt. When the screw threads are engaged and the bolt issecured against rotation the slide is not free to move; thus, the flapcan be secured in any desired angular position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic sideelevation of a surgical operation table according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of part of a trunk and an extensionsection of the table, showing a coupling between the two sectionspartially engaged,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary underplan view of part of the extension section,and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary underplan view of another part of the sameextension section.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention, a surgical operation table comprises a patient-supportingplatform 1 arranged on a wheeled base 2. The platform I comprises asingle trunk section 3 with extension flaps 4 removably secured to theends of the trunk section. The trunk section 3 and the extension flaps 4are all made of a plastics material which is X ray translucent, theplastics material of the trunk section being secured to a suitable metalside frame 5 and the plastics material of each extension section 4 beingsecured to metal side frames 6.

The side frame members at one end of each extension flap 4 are connectedby a hinge 7 with a pair of coupling blocks or wedges 8 so thatone ofthese blocks or wedge; is arranged on each side of the flap. Each blockor wedge 8 extends beneath the flap 4 and tapers in the downwarddirection. These coupling blocks or wedges 8 interengage with matingcoupling sockets 9 mounted on the side frame members a t the ends of thetrunk section. The coupling sockets 9 are openat the top and at theoutside. The coupling blocks; or wedges of each flap are identical andthe coupling sockets are also identical so that the extension flaps canbe secured to either end of the trunk section.

The coupling blocks or wedges are interengaged with the sockets bydownward movement of the blocks or wedges onto I the socket. In order toprevent the blocks or wedges being accidentally lifted out of thesockets, each block or wedge 8 is provided with a locking screw 10 (FIG.3) having an enlarged knurled head 11 at its outer end. The lockingscrews 10 can be rotated to engage the inner ends of the screws inlocking recesses or sockets 12 (FIG. 2) in,the sidewalls of the matingcoupling sockets 9.

The hinged connection 7 between each extension flap 4 and its couplingblocks or wedges 8 permits the angular position of the flap 4 to beadjusted to between a few degrees above the plane containing theadjacent trunk section 3 and approximately below that plane. In order tohold each flap 4 in a desired angular position, a supporting strut 13 isprovided on one or each side of each flap. Oneend of each strut 13 ispivotably connected at 14 to one of the coupling blocks or wedges, theother end being pivotably connected to a slide 15 (FIG. 4) on the sameside of the flap. Each slide 15 has a longitudinal passage 16 with twospaced screw-threaded portions.

The two screw-threaded portions together extend over about half thecircumference of the passage 16. A bolt 17 runs along the same sideofthe flap 4 and through the passage 16. This bolt 17 has twocomplementary spaced external screwthreaded portions 18 which areseparated by unthreaded portions 19 and which can mate with thescrew-threaded portions in the passage 16. When the screw-threadedportions of the bolt and passage are disengaged, the slide I5 is freelyreciprocable on the bolt. This permits the angular position of the flap4 to be easily and quickly adjusted. When the screwthreaded portions ofthe bolt and passage are mated and the bolt is held against rotation,the slide 15 is not free to rotate so that the flap will be held in adesired position. The bolt 17 projects beyond the outer or free end ofthe :flap 4 and a handle 20 is mounted on the projecting end to enablethe bolt to be rotated to engage or disengage the screw threads asdesired. A strong spring (not visible) is provided to ensure that thescrewthreaded portions are movably engaged.

The flap intended to be the head section need only be pro vided with onesupporting strut. The loading on the flap intended to be the leg sectionis often greater so that this flap should be provided with twosupporting struts. In this case, the two bolts associated with the strutcan be linked to a common operating handle.

What I claim is:

l. A surgical operating table comprising a platform for supporting apatient said platform having a pair of downwardly tapered couplingsockets at one end thereof, one socket on each side of said platform, anextension flap removably connected to the platform, said flap having atthe end proximate to the platform a pair of downwardly tapering matingcoupling blocks mounted on the platform, one of said blocks beingengageable in each of said coupling sockets, and means for removablylocking said blocks within their mating socket.

2. A table as claimed in claim 1 wherein each coupling socket has athreaded locking recess and each block has a threaded locking screwextending transversely therethrough engageable in said locking recess tolock said block to the coupling socket.

3. A table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said extension flap is hingedlyconnected to the blocks and a supporting strut exis permitted to movewhen said screw-threaded portions are disengaged. I

4. A surgical operation table as claimed in claim 3 having two extensionflaps one of which is arranged at each end of the platform.

1. A surgical operating table comprising a platform for supporting apatient said platform having a pair of downwardly tapered couplingsockets at one end thereof, one socket on each side of said platform, anextension flap removably connected to the platform, said flap having atthe end proximate to the platform a pair of downwardly tapering matingcoupling blocks mounted on the platform, one of said blocks beingengageable in each of said coupling sockets, and means for removablylocking said blocks within their mating socket.
 2. A table as claimed inclaim 1 wherein each coupling socket has a threaded locking recess andeach block has a threaded locking screw extending transverselytherethrough engageable in said locking recess to lock said block to thecoupling socket.
 3. A table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said extensionflap is hingedly connected to the blocks and a supporting strut extendsbetween one block and a slide which can move axially along a partiallyscrew-threaded bolt which runs along a side of said flap, said slidehaving a partially screw-threaded aperture engaged with said boltwhereby said slide is prevented from moving along said bolt when saidscrew-threaded portions of said bolt are engaged with those of saidaperture, but is permitted to move when said screw-threaded portions aredisengaged.
 4. A surgical operation table as claimed in claim 3 havingtwo extension flaps one of which is arranged at each end of theplatform.